The Georgia Bulldogs won the College Football playoff national championship just a few days ago. They celebrated it with their fans on Sunday. But that ecstasy quickly turned into agony as the events took a tragic turn. The Bulldogs star offensive tackle Devin Willock met with a devastating end just hours after the championship glory.
The 20-year-old starred for his college football team in the recently concluded national championship. But a terrible case of tragedy cut his life short.
Devin Willock meets with a tragic end
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The Bulldogs DT Devin Willock died in a car crash just hours after the team’s championship parade. He was traveling with Georgia’s recruiting staff member Chandler LeCroy and two others. Both Willock and LeCroy died before reaching the hospital, the police confirmed.
Offensive lineman Warren McClendon was also traveling with them, but he is now stable. He was gearing up for the NFL draft this year.
“The entire Georgia family is devastated by the tragic loss of football student-athlete Devin Willock and football staff member Chandler LeCroy,. Two other members of the football program were injured in the accident. They are both in stable condition, and we will continue to monitor their status with medical personnel,” the university said in a statement, as reported by ESPN.
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Willock was still just a sophomore-year student at the University of Georgia. But he played an integral part in taking the Bulldogs to the championship. His car crash came just hours after the Bulldogs shared the joy of winning back-to-back national championships with a parade ceremony at Sanford Stadium.
A deep loss for the football community
The untimely demise of Devin Willock is a deep loss to the football community. The NFL world had barely come out of the Damar Hamlin scare. The OT was an internal part of head coach Kirby Smart’s plans to build a college football dynasty at the University of Georgia. He played all 15 games of the season as the Bulldogs routed the TCU Horned Frogs 65-7 in the championship game.
Coach Smart termed Willock an outstanding young man who was a joy to coach. He also called Chandler LeCroy a valuable member of the staff.
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— Coach Kirby Smart (@KirbySmartUGA) January 15, 2023
“Devin was an outstanding young man in every way. He was always smiling, was a great teammate and a joy to coach. Chandler was a valuable member of our football staff and brought an incredible attitude and energy every single day. We grieve with their families for this tragic loss and will support them,” Smart said in a statement on Twitter.
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The devastating loss will take some time to heal, as such tragedies are always the ones that are the hardest to take.
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